NFR, IIT Guwahati team up to develop biodegradable alternatives to plastics

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and IIT-Guwahati have collaborated to introduce biodegradable and compostable materials as a replacement for conventional plastic to ensure environmental sustainability, officials said.

As a pilot initiative, NFR has introduced eco-friendly green bed-roll bags on its trains, replacing traditional plastic bags used for distributing linen to passengers.

Developed at IIT-Guwahati's in-house research and development facility, the bio-plastic degrades in compost within a short time, according to an official release.

It was formally rolled out on August 15 with around 40,000 such bags to be distributed across 25 trains originating from terminals in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, it said.

The initiative not only enhances passenger convenience, but also contributes towards reducing landfill waste, lowering the carbon footprint and conserving natural resources, the release said.

The collaboration with IIT-Guwahati, coupled with NFR's eco-friendly measures, marks a practical and scalable approach towards greener railway operations, it said.

Among other measures, NFR has implemented rapid railway electrification, solar energy generation, AI-based intrusion detection systems to safeguard elephants and others, rainwater harvesting, automatic coach washing plants and bio-toilets, the release added.